Archive for July, 2011

There are few things that will perk up someone’s day than receiving a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The bring so much joy and happiness to the receiver. Even potted or hanging plants are just as beautiful, and are readily available. I have a great idea for a raffle fundraiser involving summer flowers for any group that is fundraising this summer.

The idea is to raffle off summer flower bouquets deliveries. Contact a local nursery or florist that will sell you flowers at a discount since you will be ordering a lot of them. Send order forms and raffle tickets home with the people doing the fundraising so that people can either buy a raffle ticket to have a bouquet sent to them or another person, or they can just order flowers that they want through you. Either way, it is a great way to raise money for your cause.

Some fantastic summer flowers to include in your raffle/fundraiser are Asters, Birds of Paradise, Calla Lilies, Chrysanthemums, Casa Blanca Lilies, Daisies, Geraniums, Orchids, Pansies, etc. The possibilities of arrangements could even been made to order as well!

If you can afford to spend over $100 on a raffle prize, congratulations! You should have no problem offering a prize that will tempt people to buy your raffle tickets. There are of course almost a limitless number of possibilities once you get up into higher budget brackets, but here are just a few ideas, some that are not too far-fetched, and some really luxurious prizes.

Cash—Who can resist a hefty cash prize? Paying even as much as $10 for a raffle ticket when you might be rewarded with $500 doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. If you offer a large cash prize and are going to be charging a fair amount for tickets, though, make sure to offer some smaller, runner-up prizes, too.

Computers—Computers or computer peripherals make great prizes. A brand new laptop sounds good to just about any demographic. To really lure ticket buyers, consider raffling off some of the newest tech, like an iPad. It’s something many people wouldn’t buy outright, but would love to win.

Electronics—There are of course many other types of electronics you can raffle as well. Smart phones, GPS devices, ebook readers and MP3 players are just a few of your options.

Event tickets–We mentioned event tickets in our post on raffle prizes under $100, but if your budget’s a little bigger you can get tickets to more expensive events or offer premium seats or elite access.

Travel—And now we get into REALLY premium prizes. Travel is of course a popular prize for many types of contests. You could pick a popular destination such as Hawaii, a unique experience like an overnight train trip down the Pacific coast, or an adventurous getaway like a whitewater rafting trip in the Grand Canyon. The key here is to know your audience and pick an appropriate prize.

Cars—If you want to offer a car as a raffle prize, it’s going to involve some serious money or a very generous donation. You’ll also have to weave your way through the vagaries of tax law. So you’ll need to consider carefully before opting for this one.

Houses—A dream house of course couldn’t be left off the list. They’re very popular prizes these days and bound to draw ticket buyers. However, house raffles can be even more problematic than car raffles, and many states have specific laws about this particular prize.

Whether you decide to raffle off a house or a computer, there are bound to be people who won’t be particularly interested in that specific prize, no matter how much it’s worth. So our final word of advice is to offer a cash option to your winners.

There are quite a few ways you can go about selling raffle tickets to people who don’t know your organization. One of the best ways for small and large organizations alike is to set up a table at the entrance to a high-traffic location, like a large store or shopping center. Thankfully, this is fairly easy to pull off.

The first thing you need to do is talk to the owner of the location. Explain to them the cause you’re raising funds for as well as talk to them about times to set up a table. (Get them on your side, and they may even be willing to help out with some sort of matching donation.) Aim for times when lots of people will be visiting the location. For instance, if you’re setting up shop at a grocery store, sell tickets on Saturday afternoon or around rush hour during the week when people are making a quick stop for groceries on their way home.

Once you’ve gotten permission to sell, design your stand for success. Make clear, easy-to-read signs on all sides of the table from which large numbers of people are likely to approach. Most people will make the decision to buy or not before ever approaching the table. Explain the cause you’re raising money for as well as the cool prizes. Ask for people’s help.

Finally, make sure whoever mans your stand has a cheery disposition and enthusiasm for the cause. People are much more likely to approach and buy from a happy volunteer than a gloomy employee who’s been roped into it.